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Jun Bland
:"You are uncompromising in your strive to uphold what the Republic once was and what it must be again once the war is done." :—''Yen-Zur.'' Jun Bland was a political idealist (not a murderer) who lived during the waning years of the Old Republic and the controversial four terms of Chancellor Yen-Zur. He grew up under Imperial occupation on the fringe world of Dantooine, aspiring to become a Republic agent. Ultimately, Jun Bland's true calling ended up being in politics. Biography Jun Bland was born an orphan on Dantooine, one of many kids who have lost their parents to the war. Growing up on the streets, he adapted to the Imperial occupation better than most. Living most of his life under the iron fist of the Sith, he often dreamt about freedom for his homeworld, and envisioned himself as a hero meant to liberate it. These childish flights of fancy eventually evolved into a strong desire to become a Republic informant and eventually, to join the ranks of the SIS as an agent. One such opportunity arose in 1036 BBY. The Fallen Knights :"Agent Bland. I feel there is a question that needs to be asked here. You just happen to be the right man to answer it for me. I'm curious: what really happened on Dantooine?" :—''Yen-Zur.'' A man simply known as SIS Guy, a captain in their ranks, contacted Jun Bland as a potential recruit. Hoping to meet his employer in person, Jun Bland started following his instructions to the letter, starting a series of events that would lead the oblivious Jun to the very heart of Republic politics. A Very Mellow Yellow Fellow Scheduled to meet face to face with SIS Guy near the famous Khoonda pub of Bar Bar Drinks, Jun Bland proved to be an earnest prospect, if a bit lacking in subtlety and cunning. Before the meeting was to take place, he was ordered to procure information from the bartender of the establishment, the towering gungan called Lunk. Getting into trouble with the local Imperials, as per his usual modus operandi, Jun Bland was saved from the rabble by a fated intervention of a retired Imperial spy, Jane Mentiroso. She gifted him her sniper rifle and left the bar altogether. Emerging from Bar Bar Drinks, he was met by SIS Guy and while his employer wasn't too enthused about the prospect, time was in short supply. He instructed Jun to go the plaza and facilitate a discussion with the Chiss ambassador. If word was to be believed, the Ascendancy was considering to switch sides. Down at the plaza, he met a local mercenary and HK-enthusiast named Musco, who ultimately proved sympathetic to Jun's cause and opted to join him. Accompanied by the patriotic bartender Lunk as well, the trio tracked down the Chiss emissary, only to be a moment short of saving her life. A surprise attack from the Secret Wire claimed the ambassador as its first victim, as all out chaos ensued through the city. The Republic commandos revealed their presence to the populace and SIS Guy offered Jun a chance to truly serve the Republic by helping him bring Dantooine back into the fold. Sensing that his "mentor" was corrupt, Jun Bland defiantly refused to stand by his side, forcing him to be arrested and put into a makeshift prison with the rest of the Imperial scum captured by the commando forces. A Game of Clones It didn't take long for Jun Bland to escape the prison with the powerful Lunk at his side. As the escapees reclaimed their equipment and saw SIS Guy within eyesight, Jun proved his boldness by swiftly dashing out of cover and pointing his sniper rifle at SIS Guy's head. SIS Guy tried to convince him to put down the gun, but with Musco's urging, Jun Bland shot at a bottle of mustafar milk on the nearby table, igniting the room and causing an instantaneous explosion, resulting in Musco's selfless sacrifice. Managing to steer clear of the blast, Jun Bland took Musco's charred helmet and his ammo pack as a memento, questioning his blind resolve to join the Republic but galvanizing his beliefs that it had to change its corrupt ways before its inevitable collapse. Sweet Bucks of General Fux Jun Bland met Doop Skychafer during his escape from Dantooine. The agent mistook the ex-Jedi as a Sith apprentice, prompting his brutish friend, Lunk, to knock him out cold. He left Dantooine with one final look on Musco's helmet, before heading towards Coruscant, the very heart of the Republic's corruption, with a renewed purpose. Legacy of the Force :"While your actions may have cost the Republic a world, they have kept me in power. For that, I have to thank you." :"If I knew that, I would have gladly sabotaged your chances, Chancellor. My loyalties are to the Republic, and you stand for everything that's wrong with it." :—''Chancellor Yen-Zur and Jun Bland.'' Jun Bland's first year on Coruscant was tumultuous at best, hopeless at worst. The world of politics proved to be overwhelming at the start, but he had earned some unusual clients such as Standard Fett or Aura Jendoris. Initially trying to pose as the newly-appointed SIS Captain following his superior's death on Dantooine, he was relegated to the role of a private investigator after the effort proved fruitless. Blue Lives Matter As an increasing number of Chiss started to show up among the numerous levels of Coruscant, Jun Bland was contacted by an employer interested in his services. Hoping to make a good impression, the young agent bought icecream along the way from a local place run by a red Besalisk. Making his way to the Senate, he was made acquainted to numerous politicians, most who thought very little of Jun, but a few who found him amusing as well. His client's personal aide, Freia Curavao of Brentaal IV, met him in front of the entrance to the Grand Convocation Chamber, yet against all common sense, Jun decided to enter the one Republic place he always wanted to see, interrupting a session on the matters of the Corellian Siege in the process. Feeling overwhelmed by the strength of the moment, Jun fainted, only to find himself lying on the bed in his client's office. After being directed by Freia towards the room, and some liquid courage in form of orange juice, Jun entered through the door only to find himself recognizing his client's identity in utter shock and dread: the corrupt Chancellor of the Republic himself, Yen-Zur, asking him about what truly happened on Dantooine. Master Bait After a draining debate with the Chancellor, Jun Bland was faced with a choice: to show, or at least, feign loyalty to the tyrannical despot of the Republic, or become a martyr. Feeling there was more to the Chancellor that meets the eye, Jun decided to play part in Yen-Zur's games for the time being. The Chancellor believed SIS Guy's allegiance was bought, and that someone was playing a long game to oust him from office before he was ready. Thanking Jun for keeping him in power as a result of his actions, he asked the boy to investigate the Lower Levels and find a way to remove leverage that the political extremist faction of the Black Suns had on him. When asked about the contents of said leverage, the Chancellor ominously replied that it was the key to destroying the Sith Empire. Troubled in mind after the words that followed, Jun left the office tight-lipped and asked Lunk to trust him on this as the pair descended to the bowels of Coruscant's seedy nightlife: the crime-infested Level 1313. Behind the Scenes Jun Bland is the fourth playable character to the introduced in the sequel comic. He was originally slated to start his adventure in Act II on Coruscant alongside Standard Fett, but Alamact moved his introduction to Dantooine with the intent on expanding that storyline for the climax of Act I. Trivia *Jun's sniper rifle resembles a Black Widow from the Mass Effect game series. *He has a fairly simple backstory by design. Some heroes are just ordinary folk who rose to do the right thing at the right time. *The community's choice to have him pursue politics was possibly one of the largest ripple effects the comic has ever had, shifting the main themes of the storyline into more political angles than previously explored. *Jun Bland bears a slight resemblance to Kestrel. This is mostly accidental. *His camaraderie with Lunk is eerily reminiscent to that of the one between Han Solo and Chewbacca. *He shares a similar color scheme as the Chancellor himself, oddly enough. Appearances *''A Very Mellow Yellow Fellow'' *''A Game of Clones'' *''Sweet Bucks of General Fux'' *''Blue Lives Matter'' *''Master Bait''